Without a doubt, everyone starts to see changes in their body with age. As a result, many people find the need for daily routine adjustments in regards to diet, exercise or skincare to maintain a youthful presence and state of mind. These modifications in your daily life can be difficult to get used to; however, they will assist you on your journey to a happier, healthier lifestyle.
Skin dullness is one of the major changes we all expect to see as we age including wrinkles and fine lines on the face and other parts of the body. Consequently, anti-aging treatments have been a popular cosmetic trend for decades to help individuals maintain a youthful appearance.
Microneedling is a newer practice that has swept the nation over the past few years. According to ELLE Magazine, the practice started back in 1995, but just recently gained traction from attention on social media.
The procedure involves fine needles that are rolled over the skin to create tiny punctures in the skin. Microneedling works to boost skin cell generation, collagen and new tissue. Overall, the goal of microneedling is to rejuvenate facial complexion and create smoother, firmer skin. While the idea of needle pricks may sound off-putting to some, microneedling involves minor, microscopic pricking that only enters the surface level of the skin. Depending on what the patient wants treated, microneedling usually involves around three to six appointments spaced a month apart. While the procedure is most popular for the face, it can be used on any part of the body where you have unwanted wrinkles, scars, pigment issues, stretch marks, large pores or loose skin.
According to Healthline, Microneedling is for anyone who wants to see a change in their skin — as long as no known infections, healing wounds or acne cysts are present. Read more to learn about the specific benefits of the Microneedling procedure. It may just be your route to your dream skin!
1. Anti-Aging
Without a doubt, Microneedling is best known for its anti-aging advantages. The whole process is working towards one goal, producing more collagen, a crucial protein that assists structural aspects of your body including bones, skin and hair. In fact, Microneedling can also be referred to as Collagen Induction Therapy (CIT) or Percutaneous Collagen Induction (PCI).
While anti-aging processes are often associated with wrinkle diminishing, Microneedling provides more benefits to increase a youthful appearance. Aging skin can start to look dull and lose its glow. In response to the microscopic injuries from needle-poking, your body works to send elastin and collagen to repair the skin. This fights skin sagging and creates fresh, firm skin.
2. Scar Treatment
Scaring is a normal and natural part of the skin healing process. Whether scarring is from acne, skincare products or injury, Microneedling can dramatically decrease the appearance of unwanted markings.
The microneedle roller punctures the scars at a controlled depth which creates micro-channels. As these micro-channels form, the production and release of collagen increase. When the collagen is deposited, the skin is restructured and minimizes the appearance of the scars. Darker scars can be hidden by new skin and raised scars will smooth out with softer edges.
A common scar-minimizing procedure for microneedling is fighting off stretch marks. Stretch marks are undesirable scars that regularly appear on thighs, breasts, upper arms and abdominal walls. Stretch marks are caused by weakened collagen levels, so microneedling is an ideal process to stimulate collagen production in the desired area to heal the skin. Since stretch marks occur below the surface level of your skin, microneedling can’t completely remove them, but it can improve skin color and make them much less visible.
While microneedling can cause minor redness and skin irritation directly following the appointment, it has a much lower risk of post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation in comparison to other common scar removal procedures. Additionally, it’s usually cheaper and still brings quick results. However, it’s best to schedule microneedling appointments early on as the optimal treatment requires multiple procedures.
3. Pore Shrinkage
It’s very common to find large pores near the nose, upper cheeks and forehead. Over time, these pores will continue to enlarge due to clogging from dirt, grime and dead skin cells. The appearance of large pores can be troublesome to many and lead to self-consciousness.
To some, the process of puncturing small holes sounds counteractive to shrinking pores, but this is far from true. With each treatment, a new layer of healthier skin begins forming to replace the dead cells. Additionally, the more collagen an individual is able to build up, the smaller pores will become. During the microneedling procedure, collagen is stimulated and the area around pores plumps up and minimizes the appearance of pores.
4. Repair Hyperpigmentation and Hypopigmentation
There are many reasons that skin can start to lose its solid, full color. Discoloration can occur with darkening skin or even light, white spots. This change in pigmentation is often from aging or sun damage. However, it’s also common to notice discoloration from hormonal changes or new medications.
Hyperpigmentation is a very common skin condition. The term describes dark patches of skin contrasting with lighter skin around it.. Hypopigmentation describes the lightening of the skin and occurs less often than hyperpigmentation. While both hyperpigmentation and hypopigmentation are very common and usually harmless, it’s typically desirable to obtain a full, even skin tone.
Microneedling is a very popular procedure for skin discoloration with hyperpigmentation and hypopigmentation in particular. The process works to break up pigment below the skin’s surface. Melanin is a polymer for skin pigment and is responsible for tanning skin that is exposed to the sun. Melanin is not always distributed equally throughout the skin, which is what causes discoloration. This can be because of how the melanin in your body is naturally produced or from acne, injuries and sunspots. Sun damage is particularly common and can occur at any age. Blotchy, uneven skin tone is often related to overexposing of UV rays and can continue to worsen with age.
Microneedling helps to regulate the production of melanin. Since microneedling sheds the surface level of your skin to produce a new layer of brighter, healthier skin, it reduces the appearance of hyperpigmentation and hypopigmentation. Microneedling works to stabilize melanin levels in the skin to help minimize discoloration and even out skin tone.
5. Reduces Appearance of Rosacea
Rosacea is another common condition that creates noticeable discoloration in the skin. Unlike hyperpigmentation and hypopigmentation, Rosacea causes skin to exhibit a reddish tint that can flare up at any time. It can also be accompanied by a rough, bumpy texture.
Rosacea occurs with thin skin causing the under layers to show and creates skin redness. Similar to many skin conditions, Rosacea can be related back to aging. As we get older, our skin thins out and loses volume. Microneedling stimulates elastin and collagen growth and helps thicken skin. The thicker your skin, the less likely you are to show signs of Rosacea. Your skin also becomes stronger and more resistant to triggers that create redness while calming the inflammation caused by Rosacea.
6. Improves Topical Cream Effectiveness
Topical creams are an everyday product found in the majority of individuals’ regular skincare routine. Whether it’s a daily moisturizer or acne cream, it’s very common to use a topical product on an everyday basis.
Following your microneedling procedure is the best time to apply topical creams or serums. Since your skin is pinpricked, these micro-holes can easily receive the nutrients, vitamins and minerals and quickly deliver them to the lower layers of your skin. Additionally, this directly affects improvements in acne. Since the products are able to seep into the small skin punctures, topical acne products become more effective.